As it turns out, the vintage Honda SuperHawk is one of
the better bikes to begin one's riding career on. The reasons are many, ranging from
the bike's historic role amongst its contemporaries to its performance capabilities.
My personal interest in the CB77 has to do mostly with the bike's unique look and feel,
however the SuperHawk's ridability, which, upon its
introduction had completely and forever changed the world of motorcycling, plays into the
pleasure of owning one nicely.
The SuperHawk's design is not an accident by any
means. In saying "design", I don't isolate pure function - the bike's
mechanical prowess - from its other aspects. One need only to take
a good look at this model in order to sense that the aesthetic quality is inseparable and, perhaps,
paramount in securing the SuperHawk's place in motorcycle history. If you are not
convinced, consider what Soichiro Honda - Mr. Honda, himself - had to say on the subject
of design and, in particular, on how design relates to his motorcycles. The essays
that you can reach from the next page, were written
by Soichiro Honda in 1961, the year in which the SuperHawk made its US debut.
Singing praises to the SuperHawk's superb design is one
thing, but I am the first to admit that some things are being done better today. I
ride my bike often and happily embrace modern improvements that make an already great
machine even better. The inset contains information on various upgrade components; some I
have integrated into my CP77, other's I have only heard about. Please let me know if you
come across any more. |